Getting the Most From RiffWorks

[epauley]

I would like to explore recording with RiffWorks in regards to your personal experience. We all come to this forum with different perspectives, areas of expertise, taste, and so on.

Regardless, there must be universal elements that make a recording very good or conversely, really bad. I am not referring to instrument playing (of course, one must be in tune, play in key, etc.). I am referring to the tweaks controlled within RiffWorks that elevate the quality of recording. So, what is on your list of do's and don'ts?

Also, if you (or gator like creatures ) respond with technical jargon, please tell us WHY the concept is important instead of simply defining the term with other jargon.

Keep in mind that something you consider “old hat” may be new to others.

[gatorjj]

Technical jargon? Moi?

Play in tune, play in time, get the right tone going in, record in mono, record as dry as possible (i.e. no delay, reverb or compressor going in). Add effects by ear, err on the lighter side of everything you apply.

Something "technical" I usually do, but not always:
-roll the eq of bass off at 80hz, guitars at 160hz or 300hz (first knob on the left)
Why: leave some room between the bass and the kick drum, and the guitar and the bass, or you can get mud where they overlap. Roll vocals off the bottom too.

- record different guitars with different tone patches, pickups etc. or use the Filter, Shaper, or EQ to make them different so they have some distinction between them.
Why: if you have 2 or more guitars doing different things, you want them to be distinguishable from each other.

Is that enough?

[a345stud]

thanks gator
the way you explaned makes clear sense and is easy to understand. how do you get drums to crack in the mix and yet sound tight. with clear cymbles?
more please..........

[gatorjj]

how do you get drums to crack in the mix and yet sound tight. with clear cymbles?

I find most of the drum sessions work okay without touching them with effects, except for some ambience or reverb. The drums themselves are usually mixed fine, its when they get into the mix with the other instruments people usually have trouble with them. They cover the whole frequency spectrum and all those other instruments now compete for room. And being guitarists we usually are focused on the guitar sound, not the overall mix sound, and lose sight of what we're doing to the overall song.

The trick is not to let things pile up on top of each other. The snare and the guitar occupy a lot of the same range, so pan the guitars away from the snare. The kick and the bass occupy some of the same low end, so roll the bass off where it competes with the kick. Let everything have room, and then it compliments each other instead of competing. And then your levels should be such that you can hear the cymbals...

[veddereddie]

thanks gator
very very interesting to read

[bluesydude]

This is probably the only time you will hear me say this, "Go Gator"!

[epauley]

Bluesydude!!! “Go gator?” You have fallen from grace to the sea.
Old OSU proverb: Those who feed the gator are apt to lose a few fingers!

Okay, a few basic questions: Why does it matter if one records in mono or stereo since one can dial the signal left or right? Doesn't that negate the stereo effect anyway? Why offer the stereo as a choice period?

I have been recording using the stereo mode. Can this be weakening my output volume – I notice my song levels are low compared to other RiffWork users.

[ShredRex]

Now I am intrigued.....record in mono? Please elaborate Gator..........

[GuitarSlinger]

If you are not using any stereo effects like stereo chorus or delay than you are recording in mono anyway. A guitar signal is a mono signal. I do like to record with effects on because I like the Line 6 effects. I guess if I had away to apply them after I would record without them.

What we really need is for Sonoma to add some more reverbs and delays.

[gatorjj]

There's that little button on the lower left of RiffWorks that says "Stereo" on it. My opinion for what it's worth is it's easier to place a mono signal in a stereo mix than a stereo one. If it's panned all the way left or right, then yes it's now mono but there's that whole "middle" of the stereo soundfield that should be taken advantage of. That really cool stereo sound sounds great on its own but has more potential to interract with the other stuff in the mix where you don't want it to. If you pan it at 9 o'clock for example, there's different stuff happening on the right than on the left, it's just quieter. And it could interfere with what you are trying to do on the right.

Now you might have that epic ping-ponging delay out of Gearbox or something on a solo that would need to be stereo, or maybe a stereo chorus on a lone acoustic, and that's fine. Cool keyboard sounds...all good. Plus I do backing tracks in stereo

[epauley]

Okay, I get it. The stereo mode could interfere within the mix and potentially, lessen the quality of the recording.

I know the guitar sends a mono signal and like GuitarSlinger, I use the effects on my PODxt. At the same time, I realize many of the effects can be reproduced within RiffWorks. If recording dry and using RiffWorks to add effects significantly improves the recording quality, then I would consider that method.

Does recording dry also eliminate the POD’s various amps and cab tones?

[gatorjj]

I wouldn't record guitars "totally" dry. Amps, cabs and mic simulations are all important to the sound. The debate would be whether to use the POD/GB pedal-type effects vs. the ones in RiffWorks.

Things like delay and reverb are hard for me to judge without the context of the mix. I prefer the flexibility of fitting the guitars into the mix with the effects in RiffWorks instead of mixing around the effects printed to the layer, but both are certainly capable of producing an excellent result. You just need to choose wisely on the effects going in, because once in you can't change them and the end result could suffer if you're too far off.

Anyone else want to chime in? I feel like I'm hogging this side of the fence

[bluesydude]

I feel like I'm hogging this side of the fence

Hogs! Now your talking my language.

I'm sure I speak for the majority here that would say, "hog on!" And "We really appreciate your input".

[gatorjj]

Razorbacks are far too modest!

[strat]

Hog on brothers...